Danbury makes case for innovation grant money

Danbury business leaders and CTNext board members get on a trolley to tour the downtown area of Danbury, Conn., on Monday, May 22, 2017. Danbury is one of seven finalists to earn an innovation grant fromDanbury business leaders and CTNext board members get on a trolley to tour the downtown area of Danbury, Conn., on Monday, May 22, 2017. Danbury is one of seven finalists to earn an innovation grant from CTNext.

The team pitching Danbury for an innovation grant talks to CTNext board members at the Danbury Library in Danbury, Conn., on Monday, May 22, 2017. Team members are, left to right, Roger Palanzo, MikeThe team pitching Danbury for an innovation grant talks to CTNext board members at the Danbury Library in Danbury, Conn., on Monday, May 22, 2017. Team members are, left to right, Roger Palanzo, Mike Kaltschnee, Lisa Scales, Meagan Cann, Pauline Assenza, and P.J. Prunty.

DANBURY — The city made its pitch on Monday for a share of the $30 million in grants being awarded by CTNext to spur innovation and entrepreneurship in the state.

Danbury is seeking $2.8 million over five years to implement a sustainable retail incubator street art initiative start-up and business support service, and marketing services. A steering committee led by CityCenter Danbury would also hire three people to oversee the money and projects.

A matching grant, funded by individual investors and the city, would go toward other projects such as expanding the Danbury Hackerspace and improving the downtown farmers market.

Danbury is one of seven finalists for the Innovation Places Implementation Grants. The grant winners will be announced in June.

CTNext’s board members and executive director paid a visit to Danbury to hear from a group of business leaders interested in revitalizing the downtown area. The Danbury group collaborated to put together the presentation and each spoke to CTNext board members about the strengths and potential of the Hat City.

After the presentation, which took place at Danbury Library, CTNext personnel boarded a trolley for a tour of downtown.

“This is an opportunity to really get a vibe from the community and the people behind the proposal,” Glendowlyn Thames, CEO of CTNext, said. “We get to see what Danbury is all about.”

CTNext board members visited and toured with each of the other six finalists, which are Norwalk, Stamford, Thames River, New Haven, Hartford/East Hartford and Central Connecticut, which includes New Britain, Farmington and Berlin.

“I think our presentation was summarized well and I’m excited we made it this far,” P.J. Prunty, director of CityCenter Danbury, said. “In their feedback they said to make sure we have all our loose ends tied up. They’re giving us about a week to finalize the proposal. We’ll make sure things are spelled out clearly.”

In detailing the proposed Danbury projects, Prunty said the sustainable retail incubator will be a destination shopping venue in which the product makers will have interaction with customers. Businesses will share space to cut costs and have access to Danbury’s Downtown Revolving Loan Program.

The street art initiative will “recognize the arts as a vital driver of downtown development,” Prunty said. The startup and business support services project will connect entrepreneurs with resources needed to launch and grow. Marketing services will build awareness of the other projects and promote downtown as a destination for the arts, creativity and innovation, Prunty said.

“Downtown Danbury is primed and ready to go,” Prunty said. “It’s clear to see the energy in the Hat City is getting stronger and stronger.”

Kaltschnee added: “I’ve been here for five years and this is happening. There are 500 people living right in downtown (in newly built apartment complexes) and these people are going to want to do stuff.”

Palanzo pointed to Danbury as a municipality that is growing even as other cities and towns are losing population.

“Danbury is seeing growth,” he said. “We are bursting on the edges of town and these residents are going to need services. We’re seeing that now.”

The grants are being distributed through Innovation Places, a program of CTNext that aims to “create a concentration of entrepreneurs, innovators, tech talent, support organizations and research institutions that come together in dense, walkable, transit-connected communities,” according to a CTNext release.

“Either way, it’s been a great experience fostering these relationships,” Prunty said of the collaboration with other Danbury business leaders.